Many electromagnetic devices generate heat during use and require cooling to prevent the temperature of the device and/or surrounding environment from becoming too high. Certain devices, including transformers and inductors, include current carrying windings, and heat generated in these windings must be dissipated. However, because the windings are often tightly wound and may be coated with an insulating material, heat generated internally must either transfer across several layers of insulation, travel through the core material (which may exhibit poor thermal conductivity) or along the winding conductive path and into the wiring or bussing connected to the device. None of these heat flow paths are particularly efficient.
Heat dissipation becomes increasingly important when electromagnetic devices operate at high power levels. High temperatures generated by these devices limit the power levels at which they can operate. Such temperature limits thus may also adversely affect the volumetric and weight performance of equipment incorporating the electromagnetic devices. This is especially true in high power density equipment operating in high ambient temperature or in applications where active cooling is required, such as in aerospace applications. Heatsinks are known for cooling electronic equipment, but are generally only useful for removing heat from exposed surfaces of a device. It is therefore desirable to provide a heatsink that can conduct heat outwardly from an inner portion of a heat generating device.